Q&A with Mike Preston

Baltimoresun.com Staff

Johnny, Beverly Hills, Calif.: Hey Mike, what gives with the Ravens? They can't win for winning. The only thing this loss does is give false hope and Billick another escape act. C'mon, don't you think the Ravens with their anemic offense would have been thumped if the Steelers had a quarterback other than Maddox? I mean really, 16 points? Next we are going to hear them say that Boller is starting to show signs. Maybe they should come live here in beverly hills, where dreams do come true.

Mike Preston: This is a big win in Baltimore sports history. Didn't you see the Ravens carrying Matt Stover off the field on their shoulders? The Ravens actually scored a touchdown. Banks and schools are closed. It's a national holiday. They just gave Billick the key to the city. Wait a minute. The Ravens motorcade just passed outside my door. If you drink from the purple fountain, then you found great pleasure watching the Ravens SHUT DOWN the Tommy Maddox-led offense. If you have a clue, you just say 'Whoopee' and thank the football gods that Big Ben didn't play or the Ravens would be 2-8.

Mike Preston: Oh ye of little faith? Come on Mike, after watching Maddox play, you didn't get the impression that he was Terry Bradshaw or Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam. One time in the first half Hines Ward was open for about 10 minutes, and by the time Maddox got the ball there, they were giving out the two-minute warning for the end of the game. The Ravens are giant killers. Dilfer, Bollinger, Maddox. You can go back to last season. Eli Manning and Carson Palmer when they were babes.

As for Taylor versus Lewis, you know where I stand, and you know Billick is going to stand in the opposite corner. So, we're continuing with 'Jamal Lewis Must Start' fan club. That's right, keep Lewis in the game. I think fans should write the Ravens letters in support of Lewis. If Taylor gains 100 yards next week, and Lewis gains only 10, then keep supporting Lewis. Because as we all know, media and fans don't know what they're talking about. We never played in the NFL. We never wore orange jump suits. We don't know about passion and emotion. We don't know about schematics or profiles. We don't know jack.

Bill, Salisbury: So, any chance of the Ravens franchising Jamal Lewis and signing Chester Taylor to a deal? I suppose the whole works is complicated by the fact they may still end up in the Reggie Bush sweepstakes when they finish with 3 wins or so.

Mike Preston: Bill, let's take a moment of silence this morning in honor of Jamal Lewis. Remove your cap. Bow your head. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. Okay. Enough.

After the Pittsburgh game, Lewis was disappointed and mad. He doesn't think he'll be around next season, and most likely he is right. The relationship is beyond repair, unless of course, the Ravens ante up a big contract. I don't think that's going to happen. Lewis is unhappy with general manager Ozzie Newsome and Billick, and they may never be forgiven. For both parties, it appears it's time to move on.

David, Grasonville: Hey Mike, I think its ridiculous that all these so-called 'die-hard' Ravens fans are selling their tickets and claiming they'll never watch a Ravens game again. Whatever happened to sticking with your team through thick and thin? Do you consider a majority of the fans in Baltimore fair-weather fans?

Mike Preston: A lot of the true die-hard fans don't attend Ravens games because they couldn't afford the PSLs. The average blue-collar worker can't afford to shell out that kind of money. The Ravens got what they paid for. It's like Oriole Park. Some of the Ravens fans are part of the cell phone crowd. They are there because it's the in place to be, not because they have a passion for the game. Even though real fans don't always show up, they're still monitoring the team in some capacity at home on the TV.

Now, with that said, I understand those who don't show up because the games aren't entertaining. The Ravens don't score points. Their games are dreadful and boring. I love football. I have a passion for the game, but I wouldn't pay money to watch the Ravens' offense. Hell, I get paid to watch the Ravens play and still struggle with their games. Overall, Ravens fans are no different than in other cities where they have to pay PSL fees. The days of the old, loyal crowds like the ones formerly in Baltimore and the Dawg Pound in Cleveland, have been replaced by the Yuppie folks who can afford the PSLs and ticket prices.

Brandon, Glen Burnie: I love reading your columns. Why do the Ravens seem to play better when they face scrutiny? They seem to let it all out and take risks, which we should have been doing since day one. What's your take?

Regardless of records, the Ravens are always going to play the Steelers tough. They hate each other. The two coaches dislike each other. That's just the way it is. When teams are losing like the Ravens, they usually play tough at home but turn it in on the road. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens play in Cincinnati next week. The 2000 team was great at playing under scrutiny. If you criticized or ripped them the week before a game, they'd throw it back in your face the next week if they won. It wasn't mean spirited, it's just the way that group was with the media. The locker room was a great place to be for everyone including beat guys because there wasn't animosity, just everybody doing their jobs, but at the same time poking fun at each other. That group was special. Lots of guys weren't in the game for the money, but were trying to win championships. This batch is different. There are too many guys looking out for themselves and the big, almighty dollar.

By the way Brandon, be home by 6 p.m. And don't forget to close the garage door.

Gil, Huntingtown: Mike, is Kyle Boller a better shot-putter than a QB? Are his mechanics, which look screwed up even to me, a reason he's struggled?

Mike Preston: Isn't that one of the worst throwing motions in the history of the game? Boller didn't start that until Jim Fassel came aboard two years ago. Because Boller lacks touch on short passes, I think Fassel suggested that motion to him to take some of the heat off his passes. Boller's mechanics are terrible. You can have bad mechanics if you have an arm like Brett Favre, but Boller doesn't have Favre's arm. By the way, what was Boller thinking when he tried to pitch the ball left-handed from one knee at the Steelers one, and the ball struck Lewis in the face mask? Wow. I haven't seen a play that stupid since former Ravens quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw a pass from his knees.

I think the Ravens need to conduct an investigation. Instead of trying to find out who the source is leaking information to the media (It's Edgar. Maybe it's Poe), I think they should investigate the grounds crew to find out why the lines are so thick on the field. Their quarterbacks trip over them all the time.

Doug, Norrsville: Why don't the Ravens ever go no-huddle during the game? Why do the Ravens quarterbacks never pump fake? It freezes defenses.

Mike Preston: I wrote a brief line about the pump fake in the report card this morning. That split second my be good enough for a touchdown. Please don't suggest the Ravens go no-huddle. This team, this offense is so chaotic.

One of my favorite moments Sunday came late in the game when the interception by Terrell Suggs was being challenged. Instead of preparing for the outcome either way, the Ravens get the ball. They throw a 5-yard pass and then burn a time out. Are you kidding me? They had enough time to design a series of plays. Shoot, they could have designed a whole new offense. But they can't get it together. If the Ravens run a no-huddle offense in the middle of the game, I suggest you call up Comedy Central and tell them to send over a TV crew. I guarantee you, it's going to be a comedy. It might make the NFL Follies.

Matthew, Baltimore: Do you have any indication whether Ray Lewis will play again this season?

Mike Preston: No. But doesn't he remind you of the old Boston Celtic Paul Silas waving the towels from the sidelines? Ray has to be the highest paid cheerleader in the league.

Justin, New York: Mike, I've been a die-hard Ravens fan and PSL holder since the team came to town. I'm also a big fan of your column (though I don't always agree with everything that you write and consider your column an acquired taste). But I'm really getting tired of the ignorance of many of our fans. In 1996, our fans couldn't figure-out whether to make noise when the team was on offense or on defense. And this year they're cheering when players and referees get hurt, and constantly booing our own team. Though I'm just as frustrated as everyone else about the 2005 season, I find it amazing how quickly the fans have turned against this franchise. The Ravens brought us a Super Bowl in less than five years of existence - an accomplishment that several franchises still have not achieved. Obviously, expectations were high for this season. But Steve Biscotti, Ozzie Newsome, and Brian Billick deserve the opportunity to fix this. Ozzie and Billick have won a lot of games in Baltimore. It is possible that they received too much credit in 2000 and are getting too much blame in 2005?

Mike Preston: Well, since you're obviously a man of great taste, Mr. Justin, I'll answer your question. The Ravens PR machine blew this up as the season to make the Super Bowl run. If they stopped yakking so much, and just played the game, there wouldn't have been these great expectations. Instead, the PR machine has backfired in their collective face.

Now, with that said, this team has underachieved for the past two seasons. They have a lot of talent and should be more than 3-7. I think at the end of the season the owner has to seriously evaluate Billick. Now, people will say I want him fired, but let's be realistic. The Ravens took a nose dive at the end of last season, and they have stayed in the funk in 2005.

There are many locker room problems and they have one of the worst offenses again in the league. Billick defenders will try to point out that Bill Cowher had struggling years in Pittsburgh, but it's an unfair comparison. According to a long time Pittsburgh beat writer, the Steelers were competitive in most of those games. The Steelers never had a game where they committed 21 penalties. More importantly, Cowher never, ever lost control of his locker room. That's the key. Are you still in charge? Do your players still respect and play hard for you? Those are questions the owner has to ask along with inquiring about changing the offensive system, and which players will lead this team in the future. They're all fair questions. If Billick has the right answers, then bring him back. If he doesn't, or the owners feels different, then he has to make the change. The bottom line for Billick is that fans and media don't get coaches fired, wins and losses do.

In the past, critics have either stated or insinuated that I don't criticize Newsome or quarterback Anthony Wright harshly because they're black. Yet, these same people say I criticize the Ravens too harshly, and the last time I looked, hmmm, most of the players were African-Americans (maybe I need to get my glasses checked). They can't have it both ways.

Newsome gets a year or two reprieve from this season just like Billick got one last season when he fired offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh. The order in firings go coordinators, head coach and GM. In the past, I have urged readers, fans, the Ravens, whatever, to give both Billick and Newsome time to improve this situation. From the outside looking in, it doesn't look good for Billick. The Ravens have six games remaining, so there is time. But the Ravens need to do some heavy evaluating, and then go from there. I just hope decisions aren't made impulsively based on emotion, or what transpired in the previous game.